There’s always one. A man willing to go out of his way to tell you his thoughts on your personal appearance and his makeup preferences. Toosii said, “I say, you look good without no makeup. No lashes, even better when you wake up.” Drake said, “sweatpants, hair tied, chillin with no makeup on. That’s when you’re the prettiest, I hope that you don’t take it wrong.”
But the question is, how is one supposed to take it right? If you wear makeup, you do so intentionally. Saying someone would look better without it is invasive, forward and even a bit of a backhanded compliment. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of such a remark, it likely gave you pause. Perhaps you felt offended but didn’t necessarily know what to say in response. Don’t worry 21Ninety has you covered with some possible responses for the next time this happens.
Check them out and if you like them, add them to your arsenal.
I didn’t ask for your opinion
Most of us don’t go around asking people when they find us the most attractive. If you’ve asked that specific question, then that’s a different story. But if you didn’t, kindly remind the commenter that you weren’t taking a poll. Unless you asked someone to compare your bare face to your made up one, remind them it’s okay to keep their thoughts in drafts.
People wear makeup for all types of reasons
This response is great if you feel like taking the time to educate someone. You can explain that the reasons a person chooses to wear makeup are varied. It can make one feel more polished, and another more confident. For some, it’s artistic expression, a chance to switch up their look or enhance their natural beauty. Assuming you know and understand someone’s personal beauty aesthetic enough to offer suggestions is extremely presumptuous.
I’m not wearing it for you
Use this, you look better without makeup response, where it applies—-and that’s almost anywhere, actually. Most of people put themselves together in a way that is pleasing to their own standards. This might be hard for men to grasp but many of women don’t dress for their approval. They dress for their own. If someone is confused by this, remind them they are not your target audience.
I never said I didn’t
There’s an assumption that if you wear makeup, you do it because you don’t like the look of your natural face. That’s not always the case. Many of people love their faces in a natural state as well as loving what they look like with makeup. It’s about variety. It’s about achieving a look and serving a vibe. Sometimes, makeup helps achieve that.
Mind your own face
If you want to keep it simple and make a strong statement, hit the person with this one. If they don’t like makeup, tell them they don’t ever have to wear it. If you have a face of your own, use your energy to control your look instead of sharing ideas on someone else’s.
Do you offer everyone unsolicited opinions on their appearance?
Let’s be honest. The reason why this comment is problematic for many people is because it’s about appearances. As people, we are far greater than the way we appear. But society has conditioned men to not only commodify women’s beauty but to constantly be offering up analysis on it. Men rarely tell other men they like their hair cut low or grown out, or that they prefer a beard instead of a goatee. A lot of beauty opinions get thrown at women—without invitation. Telling a woman she looks better without makeup is akin to asking her to smile in the street. Women should be free to do what they wish.